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How accurate is blood testing for alcohol?

By Lawrence Koplow, Esq.

The truth of the matter is we don't really know. Most labs in the Phoenix Arizona area claim to be accurate within 5%. That means if your blood result came back at .08, then the true result can be anywhere from 5% lower or 5% higher. Other scientific organizations claim 5% is not a realistic range of accuracy. For example, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences claims that the accepted range of accuracy is 10% higher or lower. After interviewing toxicologists over 100 times, doing a substantial number of DUI trials with blood results at issue, I am convinced that the accuracy is totally dependent on the procedures used by the lab, and most labs overstate their accuracy. To support my conclusion, I need to explain how blood testing with a gas chromatograph works...continue to full post

Full post as published by Arizona DUI Defense Blog on October 28, 2009 (boomark / email).